Automobile transmission



s. s. MORTON. AUTOMOBILE TRANSMISSION- I Patelited Aug. 29, 1922,

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27. I92].

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

S. S. MORTON.

IIUTOMOBILE TRANSMISSION. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 27. 1921.

Patented Aug. 29, 1922. u 4 OHEETS-SHEET 2.

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s. s. MORTON. AUTOMOBILE TRANSMISSION.

APPLICATION FILED IU NEZY. 1921.

Patented Aug. 29, 1922.

S. S. MORTON.

AUTOMOBILE TRANSMISSION.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21. 1921 Patented Aug. 29, 1922'.

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AUTOMOBILE TBJhIqSI'JIISSJON eaner-ii.

fipecincation of Letters Patent.

Patented Au 2a, 1922.

Application filed June 27, 1921. Serial No. 480,699.

' T0 cZZwhom it may concern:

Be it known that l, SAMUEL S. Mon'ron, a citizen of the -United States,residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful improvements inAutomobile Transmissions; and I do declare the following to be a full.clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in transmission mechanisms and moreparticularly to those which are designed primarily for use on motortrucks and other motor vehicles, although not restricted to thisparticular field of use.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel transmission mechanismby which the car may be driven atdifierent speeds or brought to astandstill without the necessity of employing a clutch or using anygears.

ln'carrying out the above end, intermittent grip devices are employed onthe rear axle of the machine or on any other appropriate shaft andreciprocating connecting rods are employed for operating saidintermittent grip devices to turn the axle, and a further object is toprovide a novel mechanism for reciprocating the connecting rodsoppositelyiand gradually increasing or decreasing the speed, and fordiscontinuing the stroking of said connecting rods when the machine isto be stopped.

i T he intermittent grip devices are of a type necessitating that theiroperating levers be initially canted before said devices'will beoperated by stroking of the connecting rods, and a further object of myinvention is to provide a unique arrangement of parts for eil'ecting thenecessary canting of said levers, so as to cause the intermittent gripdevices to drive either forwardly or rearwardly.

.Yet another object of the inventi n is to provide a novel intermittentgrip device which will operate to equal advantage for forward orrearward driving.

With the foregoing and minor objects in view, the invention resides inthe combination and construction of parts hereinafter described andclaimed, the descriptivematter being supplemented by the. accompanyingdrawings.

Figure l is a longitudinal sectional view, partly in elevation, showingmy invention ustments.

installed upon a motor truck, the transmission mechanism being set at aneutral point. I Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view similar to Fig.1, but showing the transmission mechanism set for operation.

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view partly in elevation, asindicated by line 3-3 of Fig. 1. b

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the mecha- I nism employed for varyingthe speed ad- Figure 5 is a perspective View of the oscillatoryoperating plate andthe shoes thereon for reciprocating the connectingrods.

Figure 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of one of theintermittent grip devices as indicated by line 6-6 of Fig.

Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view as indicated by lines 77 of F 3and 6.

In the drawings above briefly described, I have shown a motor truckembodying my invention. At the center of the usual rear axle casingwhich encloses the rear axle sections 1, is a casing 2 which takes theplace of the usual differential casing, while leading tor wardly fromthe upper end of said, casing 2, is a relatively long and narrow casing3 which is pivoted atet to therear end of a transmission casing 5. Thislast-named cas ing is here shown connected rigidly with the rear end ofan automobile motorG, but this arrangement is not absolutely essential.In the front end of: the casing 5 and preferably mounted on the lly-wheel 7 of the motor 6, is a wrist-pin 8 from which a pitman 9 risesto an arm 10 extending forwardly froma trans'- verse vertically disposedoperating plate 11 which is mounted for forward and rearwardoscillation. In the present showing, the ends oi the plate ill areprovided withlaterally err-- tending fianges 12 having trunnions 13located centrally between the upper and lower edges of the plate, thesetrunnions being rockably mounted in appropriate bearings 14 carried bythe sides of the transn'iission casing 55. Secured to the plate 11 bybolts or the like 1.5 and spaced in rear of said plate by appropriateblocks 16, are two V8I'' tical tracks 17 which are disposed in parallelrelationwith the plate as shown. A pair of shoes 18 are slidablyreceived between the tracks 17 and the plate 11 and the forked frontends of a pair of rearwardly extending connecting rods v19 are connectedwith said shoes respectively, by appropriate means 20. The connectingrods 19 extend rearwardly through the casing 3 and are connected with apair of intermittent grip devices located in casing 2, as will hehereinafter described fully.

lVhen the shoes 18 are adjusted vertically so that the connections 20come in axial alinement with the trunnions 13, oscillation of theoperating plate 11 will produce no reciprocation of the connecting rods19 (see Fig. 1) and hence the motor 6 may be allowed to operate withoutproducing any motion of the vehicle. WVhen one shoe 18 is moved upwardlyto any extent whatever and the other downwardly however (see Fig.2) theconnecting rods 19 will stroke in opposite d rections and will operatethe intermittent grip devices to propel the vehicle either forwardly orrearwardly, according to the manner inwhich said grip devices are set bythe means hereinafter described. For adjusting the shoes 18 in theproper manner, any appropriate means well be provided. I prefer howeverto employ the construction shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 41. A pairof links 25-and 25 are connected with and depend from the connectingrods 19 respectively, the lower end of link 25 being pivoted to arearwardly extending crank arm 26 of a control shaft 27 which extendsacross the lower portion of the transmission casing 5. The link25 isconnected with a bell crank 28 fulcrumed on an appropriate bracket 29carried by the bottom of the casing 5 and from this bell crank, a link30 leads forwardly to a crank arm 26 on the shaft 27. Arm 26' extendsupwardly whereas arm 26 extends rearwardly in a horizontal direction,the result being that when shaft 27 is rocked, the operating connectionsbetween said shaft and the connecting rods 19 will shift one of saidrods upwardly and the other downwardly, thereby similarly moving theshoes 18 so as to produce opposite stroking of said connecting rods andalternate operation of the intermittent grip devices.

While any adequate means may be employed for turning the shaft 27, Ihave shown a hand lever 31 thereon extending within easy reach of thedriver, said lever being provided with a dog 32 coacting with a rack 33for holding it in adjusted position.

Each section 1 ofthe rear axle is provided with a peripherally grooveddrum 34 surrounded by a two-part band 35 whose sections are bypreference connected adjustably by an appropriate screw 36. The ends ofthe band 35 are disposed in overlapping relation and are extendedrespectively outwardly and inwardly as indicated at 37 and 38. theseends 37 and 38 being disposed on substantially radial lines and inparallel relation with each other. A pair or fulcrum pins 39 carried bya bifurcated operating lever 40 are positioned between the ends 37 and38 and when said lever is moved in on direction or the other, afterbeing initi ally canted to contract the band 35 around the drum 3%, saidfulcrum pins 39 will draw said band tightly around the drum in ananti-slipping manner, thereby causing the motion of the lever 10 to betransmitted to the shaft 1 to turn the latter. The corn necting rods 19are pivoted respectively to the levers a0 and when these levers areanted in one direction, reciprocation of said connecting rods will causeforward turning of the shaft or axle section 1, but when thelevers inquestion are canted in the opposite direction, reverse driving willoccur. F or effecting this canting of the levers 40, the constructiondescribed below is employed.

A pair of curved springs 41 are connected at their lower ends with thelevers 40 respectively, at points in advance or" the fulcrum pins 39,said springs being preferably formed by downwardly bending the rear endsof a pair of spring bars -12. These bars extend forwardly under theconnecting rods 19 and have their front ends suitably attached. toslides 13 mounted on said connecting rods. 1 have shown links 413extending forwardly from the slides 43 and attached to additional slides14- on the connecting rods 19. The slides 44 are normally shiftedlaterally in one direction on the connecting rods 19 by means ofsuitable springs 15 so as to interengage dogs 46 carried by said slideswith teeth 47 with which the outer edges of the connecting rods areprovided, whereby to lock the slides 4-1 and consequently the springbars 42 and the springs 41 to said connecting rod for movement bodilytherewith. When the slides 41 1 are shifted laterally to disengage thedogs 16 from the teeth 47 and then shifted longitudinally upon theconnecting rods 19 in one direction, the s rings 41 act to cant thelevers 10 for driving in one direction. When the slides 1 1 areoppositely adjusted however the levers 10 and their intermittent gripdevices are set for driving in the re verse direction.

For shifting the slides 141 in the required manner, I have shown a handlever 928 whose lower end is positioned between said slides and isadapted to engage stops or shoulders d9 thereon, in order to move eitherslide longitudinally. The shoulders 19 of each slide are spaced apartsufliciently to prevent stroking of the connecting rods 19 and slides14, from continually oscillating the lever 41-3 and before anyadjustment is made my means of this lever the lever 31 must be set toneutrallv position the shoes 18, as seen in. Fig. 1. Then, the slides 4:1 may be adjusted either forwardly or rearwardly as necessary and themoment they with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I haveproduced a comparatively simple yet a highly efficient and reliablemechanism for transmitting power at various speeds from aprime mover toa shaft, and that the speed may be increased or decreased without anylull whatever in the transmission of power and without any jerks such asthose occasioned when variable speed driving gears are used inconnection with a clutch which must be operated whenever gears are beingshifted. The invention operates for driving either forwardly orrearwardly at a great variety of speeds, eliminates the clutch,transmission gears,- and differential, and any necessary relativeturning of the rear wheels is permitted by turning of the drums 3st inthe bands 35, as said bands move on their return strolres.

Since excellent results may be obtained with the details disclosed, theymay be followed if desired but I wish it llIlClQI'SLOOLl that within thescope of the invention as claimed, numerous changes may be made.

I claim:

1. A transmission mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted operatingmember having a pair of parallel guideways extending across and fromopposite sides of its pivotal axis, a pair of shoes slidably engagedwith said guideways respectively, means for adjusting said shoesoppositely along said guideways, a pair of shaft-driving intermittentgrip devices spaced from said operating member, connecting rods betweensaid shoes and said intermittent grip devices respectively, and meansfor oscillating said operating member.

2. A transmission mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted plate,parallel tracks carried by said plate and spaced from one side thereof,a pair of shoes slidably received between said tracks and said plate,means for oscillating said plate, a pair of shaft-drivintermittent gripdevices spaced from said plate, a pair of connecting rods leading fromsaid intermittent grip devices to said shoes respectively, and means foradjusting said shoes oppositely along said tracks.

3. A transmission mechanism comprising a pivotally mounted operatingmember having a pair of parallel guideways extending across and fromopposite sides of its pivotal axis, a pair of shoes slidably enon saidcontrol shaft LO gaged with said guideways respectively, a pair ofshaft-driving intermittent grip devices spaced from said operatingmember, connecting rods extending from said intermittent grip devices tosaid shoes respectively, a pair of links pivoted to and extend 111g inthe same direction from said connectmg rods, acontrol shaft having acrank arm to which one of said links is pivoted a lever adjacent saidcontrol shaft, an additional link pivoted to said lever, another crankarm t which said additional link is pivoted, and means for turning saidcontrol shaft and holding it in adjusted position.

4-. A transmission mechanism comprising an intermittent grip devicehaving an operating lever, a connecting rod extending from said lever,meansfor reciprocating said connecting rod, a spring connected tosaidlever for initially canting the same, and means adjustable alongsaid rod and connected with said spring for controlling the action ofthe latter.

5. A transmission mechanism comprising an intermittent grip devicehaving an operating lever, a connecting rod extending from said lever,means for reciprocating said convnecting rod, a spring connected to saidlever for initially canting the same, a slide mounted on said connectingrod and having connection with said spring, means for adjust ed onsaidconnecting rod and having longitudinal and transverse movement thereon,said slide being connected with said springs, interengaging teeth onsaid slide and rod operable when said slide is shifted laterally in onedirection, a spring for so shifting said slide, and means for shiftingsaid slide laterally in the other direction to release said teeth andfor then moving said slide longitudinally.

7. A transmission mechanism comprising an intermittent grip devicehaving an operating lever, a connecting rod extending from said lever,means for reciprocating said connecting rod, :1 spring bar slidablealong said connecting rod and having one end turned laterally andconnected to said lever for initially canting the latter, and

means for connecting said spring bar to said connecting rod when movedto tension its laterally turned end. v

S. A transmission mechanism comprising a pair of intermittent grlpdevlces each having an operating lever, a pair of connecting rodsextending from said levers, means for reciprocating said rods, springsfor initially canting said levers, means including slides on said rodsfor setting said springs, and a single control lever engageable witheither of said slides for adjusting the same to control the action ofits respective spring.

9. A transmission mechanism comprising a drum, a friction bandsurrounding said drum and having an operating lever, a connecting rodextending from said lever, means for reciprocating said rod, a springconnected to said lever for initially canting the same, and meansadjustable in either direction along said rod for tensioning said springto cant said lever in either direction.

10. An intermittent grip device comprising a drum, a split friction bandoperatively associated with said drum and having radially directed endsdisposed in directly opposed parallel relation with each other and afloating operating lever having fulcrum means received between saidradial ends for spreading them when the lever is operated.

11. An intermittent grip device comprising a drtun, a split frictionband surrounding said drum and having overlapping end portions, theinner and outer end portions of said band being directed radiallyoutward and inward respectively into spaced parallel relation, and afloating operating lever having fulcrum means received between theparallel ends of said band for spreading them when the lever isoperated.

12. A structure as specified in claim, 10, together with spring meansfor initially canting said lever.

18. A structure as specified in claim 10, together with spring meansactive in either of two directions for initially canting said lever ineither direction.

14. A structure as specified in claim 10, together with an operating rodextending from said lever, and a spring device asso ciated with saidlever and rod for initially cantin the former.

15. i structure as specified in claim 10, together with an oper ting rodextending from said lever, and a spring device adjustable along said rodand connected with said lever for initially canting the latter.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

SAMUEL S. lslORTOh-

